Stair carpet fasterner

ABSTRACT

A CARPET FASTENER FOR ARRANGING AND SECURING STAIR CARPETING TO THE STEPS OF PREFABRICATED STAIRWAYS PRESENTLY BEING COMMONLY USED IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.

Jan. 5, 1971 K. E. RAGER STAIR CARPET FASTENER Filed March 27, 1969 FIG.3

IN VEN TOR M57774 5 RA 65R United States Patent US. CI. 16-10 7 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A carpet fastener for arranging and securingstair carpeting to the steps of prefabricated stairways presently beingcommonly used in construction projects.

The present invention relates to a carpet anchoring strip includingvertical and horizontal portions having strips secured thereto andformed with angularly disposed carpet securing pins for engaging withand anchoring.

both the underlay and carpeting covering stair treads and risers.

Heretofore, it has been the practice to use various types of anchoringstrips in assembling floor and stairway carpeting without the use oftacks. However, none of these devices have proved satisfactory ininstalling carpeting to metal and concrete stairways in that thesefasteners require anchoring to both stair risers and treads, which isnot possible when applied to concrete and metal steps. In addition,stairways are often curved or irregularly shaped and the prior artfastening devices cannot conform to the contour thereof and, hence, willnot snugly and neatly secure the carpeting thereto without formingunsightly bulges or folds.

Accordingly, it is the principal object of this invention to provide acarpet anchoring strip which may be readily flexed so as to snuglyconform to the contour of preformed metal and concrete stairways, andwhich may be easily secured to the treads thereof by the use offastening nails.

Another object is the provision of a flexible, generally right angularlydisposed, elongated, metal or plastic carpet securing strip havinganchoring slats arranged thereon so that stairway carpeting will snuglyinterfit the crotches between the stair treads and risers, and whichwill firmly and smoothly support the carpeting relative thereto.

A further object is to provide a flexible metal or plastic carpetanchoring strip having vertical and horizontal portions with wood orplastic anchoring slats thereon, and wherein both the strip portions andthe slats have slots therein to enable flexing of the strip to conformto the contour of the step.

Another object is the provision of a metal carpet anchoring stripadapted to be readily secured to the treads of preformed concrete andmetal stairways by the simple expedient of applying fasteners throughthe slats and horizontal portions of the strips and into the treadsthereof.

A still further object is to provide a metal or plastic carpet anchoringstrip having vertical and horizontal portions with wood or plasticcarpet securing slats thereon which will position and hold the underlayrelative to the treads and risers and enable the carpeting to besupported and backed in the areas where it spans the risers and tothereby present a neat appearance.

A further object is the provision of a simple, very light, flexible,carpet anchoring strip which is inexpensive to fabricate and easy toassemble when installing carpet on concrete and metal stairways.

-In one aspect of the invention there is provided a flexi- 'ice ble,metal or plastic right angularly disposed strip having wood or plasticslats arranged on and secured to the horizontal and vertical portionsthereof. Angled securing pins are provided in the slats to engage withand anchor stair carpeting. Both the metal portions and the nonmetalslats are slotted to facilitate flexing of the strip so that it willconform to the contour of the concrete or metal step on which it isinstalled and whereby the carpet will correspond to the shape thereof.

These and various other objects and advantages will be apparent as thespecification is considered With the accompanying drawings wherein FIG.1 is a perspective view of a portion of a carpeted metal stairway, withthe carpeting broken away to illustrate a carpet anchoring strippositioned thereon;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a carpet anchoring strip, showing oneend slotted to enable that portion to flex;

"FIG. 3 is a cross section of a metal step with the anchoring strip andcarpeting arranged thereon; and

FIG. 4 is a section through the vertical portion of the strip with thenon-metal slat secured thereto by adhesive and fasteners.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein similar referencecharacters designate like parts through out the several views, numeral 1generally identifies a metal stairway, of the type conventionally usedin constructing multi-unit apartment dwellings and commercialconstruction projects, and wherein the stairway is installed on concreteflooring not shown, and the building erected therearound. Such stairwaysinclude metal treads 2 and risers 3, with the treads formed with arecess 4 in the upper faces thereof within which concrete 5 is troweledto provide an anti-slipping surface thereon. The stairway may also bepreformed of concrete, not shown, in which event the risers and treadswill be of concrete.

In installing carpet on a stairway 1, it is necessary to providefastening devices at the crotches between each of the treads and risers.To this end, an elongated anchoring strip 6 of some suitable, somewhatflexible, relatively thin material, such as aluminum, tin, or somesuitable plastic, bent generally right angularly into vertical andhorizontal portions 7 and 8 is provided so that the horizontal portions8 will flatly engage the treads and the vertical portions 7 willcorrespondingly engage the risers. Flat strips 9 and 10 of some suitablematerial, such as wood or plastic, are disposed on portions 7-8 and arealigned with the upper and outer extremities thereof so that theirrespective lower and inner edges are spaced from each other and the bendtherebetween, for a purpose to be hereinafter described. Each of thestrips 9 10 are suitably adhesively secured, as at -11, to the innerfaces of portions 7-8, with the strips 9 being provided, if desired,with additional anchoring nails or rivets 12 to anchor the same to thevertical portions 7. A plurality of inclined pins 1'3 are suitablyembedded in rows in each of the strips 910 and protrude downwardly andupwardly, respectively, therefrom, as best shown in MG. 2 and willfirmly engage the carpet, in an obvious manner.

An anchoring strip 6 is secured in place by positioning the same at thecrotch between the tread and riser so that the horizontal portion 8overlies the concrete surfaced tread. Suitable anchoring devices 14,such as case-hardened nails, preferably of a length slightly exceedingthe combined thickness of the strip 6, metal portion 8, and concrete 5,are driven downwardly through the latter until the pointed ends thereofengage the metal surface of the treads and are deflected or spreadlaterally to additionally anchor the strip thereto. The verticalportions 7 are unsecured to the risers and are free to move relativethereto.

If the stairway is preformed of concrete, both the risers and treadsthereof will be of solid precast concrete and will not include anymetal. In such an event, the horizontal portion 8 will be positioned onthe concrete tread and the slat and portion 8 are secured directly tothe concrete by case hardened nails which will become embedded therein.

As preformed stairways of this type are often curved or irreqularlyshaped, the present anchoring strips 6 are so adapted that they may beflexed or bent to conform to the contour of the steps. Thus, theportions 78 and the strips 9-10 secured thereto are provided with spacedslots which may extend entirely therethrough and throughout the heightand width thereof, or at some points intermediate thereof. The slots maybe staggered or offset in order that the strips 6 will not be undulyweakened, and these slots may be suitably arranged throughout the lengthof the strips to enable flexing of the entire strip, or thay may beconfined to one or both ends, or at some point therebetween, dependingon the particular area thereof which is to be flexed. When so slotted,it will be evident that the strip may be bent to conform to thecurvature or contour of the step.

After anchoring strips 6 have been so positioned and anchored to thetreads 2, carpet underlay or padding 16 is positioned on one tread inabutting relation to the outer edges 17 of strip 10 and portion 8, andis drawn over the forward edge of the step and thence downwardly andinwardly, and the lower portion of the underlay is fitted between therear face of portion 7 and the riser 3. While the flexibility of thevertical strip portion 7 may be sufficient to retain the lower end ofthe underlay in position, it may be desirable to additionally anchorthat portion of the underlay. Thus, rearwardly and downwardly inclinedspaced teeth 18 or the like may be provided on the upper edges of theportions 7 so as to interengage the underlay and retain it in position.Carpet 19 is then stretched over the treads and risers and the fold iscompressed into the pocket 10' between the strips 9-10 on the portions78 so as to create a generally right angle at the junction therebetween.The carpet is then engaged by pins 13 and held in position relative tothe risers and treads without crimping and bulging.

As the strips 9-10 are secured to the portions 7-8 and the strips 10 andportions 8 are connected to the concrete sections of the treads bynails, it will be understood that the strips 9-10 serve to reinforce theanchoring strips 6 and provide rigid flat supporting surfaces for thecarpet. This is an important feature because it is essential that thefold of the carpet extend into the crotch between the portions 78 andyet be rigidly or firmly supported in areas adjacent thereto.

The fully formed metal or plastic anchoring strips having the flat woodor plastic strips 9-10 assembled thereon, and with both strips beingpre-slotted to impart flexibility thereto, may be provided inpredetermined lengths. These lengths may be severed by the carpetinstaller to the lengths suitable for a particular m l irwayinstallation, or the assembled strips may be provided in shorter lengthswhich may thereafter be combined to furnish the metal or wood stripsdisassembled in kit form in suitable containers together with adhesiveand securing nails. If so, the strips could be marked or lined at thepoints where slots could be provided therein. Thus, it would be possiblefor a home craftsman to obtain such a kit and, following theinstructions contained therein, assemble the anchoring strips to suithis particular preformed stairway carpeting needs.

What I claim is:

1. A unitary carpet fastener for preformed stairways comprisingelongated flat integral vertical and horizontal portions bentsubstantially right angular-1y, flat strips mounted on and secured tothe inner faces of said portions adjacent the outer edges thereof and inspaced rela tionship, at least one of said portions and strips beingslotted to impart flexibility thereto whereby said portions and stripswill flex and conform to the contour of the stairway, means for securingsaid horizontal portion to a tread of the stairway whereby said verticalportion will generally parallel and yet be free from the riser thereof,and pointed carpet engaging means on said strips for positioning carpetthereagainst and relative to the risers and treads.

2. In a unitary carpet fastener according to claim 1 wherein said flatstrips are non-metal and are secured to the inner faces of said portionsby adhesive.

3. In a unitary carpet fastener according to claim 2 wherein saidhorizontal portion is secured to said metal tread by pointed fasteningmeans.

4. In a unitary carpet fastener according to claim 3 wherein thestairways are of metal and the metal treads include concrete portions onthe faces thereof, and said pointed fastening means extend through saidconcrete portions and into engagement with the metal portions of saidtreads.

5. In a unitary carpet fastener according to claim 4 wherein saidvertical and horizontal portions are of flexible metal, and said flatstrips are non-metal, and said pointed fastening means extend throughsaid concrete tread portions and engage with and are deflected by saidmetal tread to anchor said fasteners thereto.

6. In a unitaiy carpet fastener according to claim 5 wherein said flatstrips are wood.

7. In a unitary carpet fastener according to claim 6 wherein saidvertical and horizontal portions are of flexible plastic, and said fiatstrips are plastic.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,750,621 6/1956 White 16--102,958,895 11/1960 Sarkissian 1610 BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner P. A.ASCHENBRENNER, Assistant Examiner

